Creating custom jewelry
Go behind the scenes of the art of creating custom jewelry.
PALM HARBOR, Fla. – A Bay Area jewelry shop is both a store and an artist’s workshop.
Les Olson Jewelers touts itself as having ‘artists at play’.
“As a manufacturer, we can do anything. You come up with a dream… we can do it,” stated master jeweler Bob Shinsky
Technology helps Shinsky and his team make those dreams happen as they use computer-aided design and 3D models.
“We start from the CAD program,” he explained.
Rob Shinsky uses computer-aided design and 3D models to make custom jewelry.
They then print 3-D models of the jewelry that the customer can try out.
“When we create a custom design from scratch, it’s built rock-solid,” Bob’s son, Rob Shinsky, a CAD artist and jewelry designer stated.
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He says collaborating with the customer takes the most time, but it’s also the fun part.
Rob Shinksy says says collaborating with the customer takes the most time, but it’s also the fun part.
“If they want something altered, we’ll show them the model and hey, I want this bigger or I want this smaller and we’ll do that for them,” he explained.
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“I used to build models as a kid… this is just building models and getting paid to do it,” Rob Shinsky said.
But really it is more than that.
Technology helps Shinsky and his team make those dreams happen as they use computer-aided design and 3D models.
Rob Shinsky said he gets to use his talents to create a memory for people.
“You’re part of the most special moments in people’s lives too, to be a part of that and to share that… it’s very rewarding,” he shared.
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They do sell pre-made pieces in the store, but it’s those creative challenges that really get the ideas going for Bob and his son.
Jewelry maker Rob Shinsky says jewelry making making is really the art of removing metal.
A custom piece could take 4 to 6 weeks to be created from the idea phase to the final casting, but all of that time is worth it in the end for a truly unique heirloom piece.
“We really want to take our time to make sure that the client is given exactly what they want,” explained Rob Shinsky.
LINK: Click here to learn more about Les Olson Jewelers.